The Higher-ups
by maddie-mira
Summary: It started with intertribal conflict. Then the glowing people showed up, and things got complicated. Don't they always? Post-HTTYD 2.
1. Chapter 1

Hiccup lay on the ground, struggling to breathe. He could feel the cold soil against his back, even through his leather armor. Pain radiated through his body, and he weakly lifted his head to look. He was only able to keep it up for a moment before it fell back; but it was long enough for him to see the arrow sprouting from his chest.

Tilting his head to one side, he found Toothless lying a few yards away. The Night Fury's eyes were closed, but Hiccup could see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed steadily. He looked fine—except for the arrow through his left wing.

A sob caught in Hiccup's throat at the sight. Toothless already couldn't fly without someone controlling his tail. If his wing didn't heal, chances were good that the dragon would never fly again.

Since becoming chief, Hiccup had worked hard to rebuild Berk, and to spread the word of dragons as friends beyond their little island. His efforts, and the efforts of the Berkians, had gone well—until they met the Cutthroat tribe.

The Cutthroat tribe lived on an island on the other end of the archipelago. As a result their relationship with the Hooligan tribe was ambivalent, and communications scarce. Hiccup had hoped to make allies out of them. He had sent them a message via Terror Mail, inviting their chief and his own to visit Berk. He had instructed the messenger dragon to carry the written invitation in its mouth and then drop it from above, since the Cutthroats were unlikely to want a Terrible Terror landing on them in the usual delivery style.

The first sign of trouble had come with the return of the messenger dragon. The Terror had reappeared empty-mouthed, but also with a number of small cuts and bruises. This didn't bode well; but Hiccup hoped that the Cutthroat chief had at least gotten his invitation.

And so the chief had. He had sailed to Berk—and brought an armada with him. While Astrid organized defensive measures in the village, Hiccup had flown out towards the armada, hoping to reason with their chief. But apparently the Cutthroats were a shoot first and ask questions later kind of tribe. There had been catapults, and then arrows. He and Toothless had retreated, and then there had been the piercing pain and the falling, and Toothless shielding him with his wings as they fell. Now here they were, crash-landed into the dirt. Hiccup didn't know where they were, only that they were alone.

A second pain joined the agony of the arrow in his chest. What would happen to Berk if he died? He knew Astrid would take over, and was confident in her abilities. But the Hooligan tribe had lost Stoick just two years ago, and Hiccup had only been chief since then. After losing two rulers in so short a time…they would want revenge. They would seek revenge on the Cutthroats. There would be fighting, with no hope for becoming allies or accepting the dragons, and then who else would be killed? Astrid? His mother? His friends? Gobber?

His heart rebelled against these thoughts, and he tried to will himself to his feet. But his body wouldn't move when he told it to; and it was almost impossible to breathe now.

There was a flash of white light from his right. Through blurred vision, he made out a figure on a white horse. The figure wore a winged silver headdress and silver armor, and carried a spear in one hand. Though he could not make out a face, he had the distinct impression that the figure was female.

The figure extended her free hand to him. "Come, brave warrior," she intoned in a rich voice. And suddenly Hiccup felt distanced from his body. The pain was still present, but it was muted, and grew more so by the second.

"Stop!" Another voice rang out. Golden light flared from Hiccup's right side, and another figure appeared. This figure seemed to be female as well, clad in a red dress under a dark blue cloak. Golden light still lingered around her. "You can't do this!"

Hiccup's sense of disconnection suddenly ended, and the pain of his wound returned full force. He would have cried out, but all he could manage was a choked gasp.

"He is a mighty warrior, felled in a moment of heroism," the armored woman said. "He will be much needed as Ragnarok approaches."

"Ragnarok is a long time in coming," the glowing woman replied. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III will go to Valhalla in due time; but not now."

"Careful, daughter of Eir," the armored woman growled. "Do not interfere with divine matters."

"Do not forget that I possess divinity as well; more than you, Kára!"

Hiccup had never hated an argument so much. Each time the armored woman spoke his spirit was pulled partway from his body, making him feel insubstantial. And each time the glowing woman spoke his spirit was pushed back down into his body, with all the pain that came with it.

The glowing woman continued to speak. "If you want the glory of being the Valkyrie to choose this warrior," she said scornfully, "I will personally inform you of his future death in battle. But you will _not_ be taking him today."

The armored woman—Kára—growled again. "The All-Father will hear of this!" She raised her spear, and disappeared in another flash of white light.

"Let him hear of it," the glowing woman muttered. "He is wiser than you." She bent down next to Hiccup and placed a glowing hand on his chest. Suddenly it was possible to breathe. The woman wrapped her other hand around the arrow shaft sticking out of his chest, and something like cold air whooshed down the arrow and into the wound. Now with the air to manage it, Hiccup groaned.

The woman looked up at his face and sighed. Removing her hand from the arrow, she touched two fingers to Hiccup's forehead. His eyelids grew heavier, his muscles sluggish, and the world around him faded to black.

ooOoo

Hiccup opened his eyes, wincing as the sunlight hit them. A woman crouched beside him, a knife in her right hand. Her blonde braid of hair hung forward over one shoulder. "Astrid?" He croaked.

"No. Now, don't move." The woman shifted her weight slightly as she spoke. The shift made her braid slip closer to her neck, revealing a design on the shoulder of her tunic.

Hiccup's eyes widened. He knew that design—a sword crossed horizontally by two daggers. He had seen it on the sails of ships very recently. It was the crest of the Cutthroat tribe.

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 **Hello, everyone! If you've read this far, thank you very much! Being a college senior has made it hard for me to find time to write; but I wanted to post this thing to show that I'm still around. Story posts from me will be few and far in between for a while, but they will happen.**

 **Some clarification: the Hooligan tribe is the tribe that lives on Berk. Both the tribe name and the term "Berkians" refer to the same people. And the Cutthroats are a tribe I made up.**

 **With that said, please leave a review telling me what you think of this story! Reviews are my fuel and my inspiration!**


	2. Chapter 2

Gasping, Hiccup rolled sideways. He rolled to his feet and backed away from the Cutthroat girl, feeling at his belt for his sword Inferno.

He only made it a few steps before pain lanced through his torso. He cried out and clutched at his chest, nearly doubling over.

"I told you not to move!" The girl rose to her full height. "I just finished sewing you back together; now you've probably gone and broken the stitches!" She threw her hands up in frustration.

Hiccup squinted at the girl. "W-what?"

"I patched up that wound in your chest. See for yourself." The girl gestured at him with one hand.

Hiccup stared at the girl, wary. She wasn't moving any closer, and had put her knife away. After a moment he looked down at his chest, lowering his hands.

His armor had been taken off, as had the shirt underneath it. A layer of bandages was wrapped around his bare chest, with a red spot starting to bloom on the left side.

"Odin's ghost," the Cutthroat girl cursed. "The stitches _did_ break." She started forward.

Hiccup took a step back in response, pressing one hand to the spot on his chest. This had to be a trick. "Toothless!" He called desperately. They had to get out of here. Toothless couldn't fly with his injured wing, but he could certainly outrun the Cutthroat girl, even with Hiccup on his back.

There was a familiar rumble and a black blur, and then Toothless was there, prancing happily around Hiccup and licking his face. "Whoa! Okay!" Hiccup yelped.

"Stop!" The Cutthroat girl protested. "You're going to make his injuries worse."

Toothless stopped his antics to look at the girl. Hiccup definitely approved of the change. "Toothless, plasma blast!" He ordered. He didn't intend to hurt the girl, just scare her off.

To his surprise, Toothless didn't follow the order. Instead he sat back on his haunches and gave Hiccup a flat look.

Hiccup gaped at the Night Fury. "What is the matter with you? If this is some Alpha pride thing, now is _so_ not the time!"

"He knows I won't hurt either of you," the girl said. "Who do you think patched up his wing?"

Hiccup took a second look at the Night Fury. His best friend's wings were furled and tucked against his back; but Hiccup could see white wrappings standing out against his ebony scales. "You helped him?"

"I helped both of you. That's what I keep telling you," the girl said in an insistent voice. "I wish you would calm down and be a bit more rational."

" _Rational?_ " Hiccup said incredulously. "Me and my dragon get shot down by Cutthroat invaders, and then I wake up to a Cutthroat girl standing over me with a knife. Excuse me if I'm a little on edge."

The girl sighed. "Fine, I get it. I'm not the most welcome sight. But I promise you I don't want any trouble. Your dragon is ok with me; and if he changes his mind, he can always blast me. Just _please_ , sit down long enough for me to fix you up." Her tone was strangely pleading.

Hiccup looked sideways at Toothless. "What do you think?" He muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Toothless cocked his head to one side, and gave an encouraging warble.

Hiccup sighed. "Ok." He sat on the ground, and Toothless moved to lie down behind him. Hiccup braced his back against Toothless's side, and allowed the Cutthroat girl to approach him.

The girl knelt in front of Hiccup, not seeming to care that he was shirtless. She set down a satchel that Hiccup hadn't noticed before, and pulled out bandages, two capped jars, and a needle and thread. "I have to take off your bandages," she told him.

Hiccup nodded uneasily. The girl untied the knot of bandage ends over Hiccup's sternum, and then slowly unwound the bandages until Hiccup's chest was completely uncovered. Hiccup glanced down at the spot where the arrow had hit him, and immediately looked away, shuddering.

The girl exhaled. "I'll have to re-do this." She used the bandages to soak up blood that was leaking out, and then grabbed one of the jars. Removing the cap, she scooped out a glob of something that looked like clear jelly.

"Ah…what is that?" Hiccup eyed the substance warily.

"It's a salve to help numb the wound. You really don't want to feel everything I'll be doing." She smeared the salve over and around the arrow wound. Gradually the pain of the injury diminished to a dull ache.

"Wow, that's good stuff," Hiccup breathed.

"Thanks. I'm going to take the broken stitches out now." She pulled out the threads with one hand, using the fingers of her other hand to pinch both sides of the wound together. "At least you were easier to convince than your dragon. He nearly took my head off before I convinced him I was friendly."

"Yeah, how did you convince him?" Hiccup winced at the muted but odd feeling of thread coming out of his skin.

"Mainly I just talked a lot. What did the trick was telling him I could help you."

Warmth rushed through Hiccup's body. He glanced over his shoulder at Toothless, smiling at the dragon. "Thanks for looking out for me, bud." Toothless rubbed his cheek against Hiccup's, making Hiccup's smile grow.

"Your dragon—Toothless, you called him? Toothless is, well, pretty cute when he's not trying to kill me." The girl finished removing the broken stitches. Blood started to seep from the newly opened wound, and she pressed a bit of bandage to it to staunch the flow. "Can you hold this in place?"

Hiccup nodded, and pressed a hand gently against the bandage.

"I'm going to do a new set of stitches now," the girl continued. "Brace yourself; you're going to feel this even with the salve."

"Toothless wouldn't have killed you," Hiccup responded as the girl threaded her needle. "He was just protecting me." He frowned as the girl leaned in, needle in hand. He had had cuts stitched up before, and it was never pleasant.

"Well, he does a good job of it." The girl pressed at the bandage on Hiccup's chest once more before removing it again. She used one hand to pinch the wound closed again, and started on the stitches.

Hiccup bit back a groan as the needle pierced his flesh. "So how did you patch Toothless's wing up?" He looked away from his injury, scanning his surroundings instead. He, Toothless, and the Cutthroat girl were in a small clearing ringed with trees. Moss grew in patches on the damp ground. It was typical Berk topography.

"It was easier than I expected." The girl kept her eyes on her work, squinting in concentration. "The wound in his wing was only a small tear, so it didn't need stitches. I just used some salve and bandages on it. He'll need at least a week before he can fly again, though. And _you_ will need at least a week before you can lose the stitches; so don't get any ideas."

Her tone was so firm, even maternal, that Hiccup couldn't help a chuckle. "Yes, O great healer."

"For your information, I _am_ a trained healer." The girl finished the stitches and knotted the thread several times, cutting the needle off with the knife she had been holding earlier. She slathered a green, earthy-smelling paste over the closed wound before wrapping it with bandages. When the bandages were securely fastened and tied off, she rocked back on her heels, inspecting her handiwork. "That should hold you. Just take it easy; I don't want to have to stitch you up a third time."

"Got it. Um, where's my shirt, and my armor?" Hiccup gestured to his bare torso pointedly.

"It's all in Toothless's saddlebags. The armor's mostly intact; but I had to cut your shirt off of you, and it has your blood on it. It's not really sanitary, but you could still wear it if you want."

Hiccup made a face. "I'll pass."

The girl smiled crookedly. "Good." She rose to her feet and started to put away her medical supplies.

There was a ragged scream from above. Spines shot down in front of the Cutthroat girl, sending her falling face first to the ground. A familiar Nadder landed in the clearing, and an even more familiar Viking jumped off her back, double-bladed axe in hand. Before the Cutthroat girl could stand up, Astrid flipped her onto her back, and pressed her axe blade to her throat.

"Wait!" The Cutthroat girl yelped, eyes on Astrid's weapon. "I'm a friend."

Astrid glared at the Cutthroat girl. "Yeah, right." She raised her free hand to punch the girl's lights out.

"Astrid, stop!" Hiccup protested. "She's not our enemy."

"Is that why I find her here, with you and Toothless both injured?" Astrid demanded. Her eyes flashed as she looked at the girl.

"She didn't hurt us; she helped us. See?" Hiccup pointed at the bandages on his chest and on Toothless's wing.

"She…" Astrid's eyes widened, and she half-turned to look at Hiccup. "Are you sure?"

"Considering I was awake when she patched me up? Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Astrid considered this for a moment; and then she lifted her axe from the Cutthroat girl's neck. The girl sat up slowly, and Astrid extended a hand to her. "I guess I owe you an apology."

The girl hesitated, and then took Astrid's hand. Astrid pulled her to her feet. "And I guess I can't blame you for being protective," the girl responded. She watched Astrid cautiously, raising a hand to her throat.

Astrid nodded, and then ran to crouch by Hiccup's side. "What happened? Are you hurt badly?" Her eyes scanned Hiccup up and down, her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Arrow wound. I'll be fine," Hiccup reassured her. "How are the villagers?"

"We've managed to keep the Cutthroats at bay for now. They're still on their ships, probably regrouping; but it might take them a while. We managed to do some damage to the ships." Astrid smiled, though her eyes still shone with concern. "I'm glad you're ok; I want to keep you around for a while." She kissed his cheek, and then turned back to where the Cutthroat girl still stood. "Hiccup, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Oh. Astrid, this is…um…" Hiccup made a face as he realized he had never gotten the girl's name.

"Aina," the girl offered. "My name's Aina. So you're Astrid?" She gestured towards the blonde Viking.

Astrid nodded.

Aina's gaze flicked to Hiccup. "And you're Hiccup…hold on." Her eyes widened. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III? Chief of Berk? _That_ Hiccup?"

Hiccup smiled wryly. Even after two years, the title still felt strange. "That's me."

"Dear Odin," Aina muttered, stiffening. "I sincerely apologize, Chief Haddock. I meant no disrespect—"

"It's ok," Hiccup intervened. "I like it when people talk to me as an equal. And our village elder scolds me when I get hurt, too, except she uses her staff to make her point."

"But I'm not your village elder…" A separate thought dawned on Aina, and she turned to face Astrid. "Astrid. You said you did damage to Cutthroat ships. You didn't kill people, did you?" A hint of panic made her voice higher than usual.

Astrid frowned. "We didn't kill anyone. How do you know who Hiccup is?" Looking Aina up and down, she spotted the crest on the girl's tunic. Her eyes narrowed, and her hand tightened on the handle of her axe. "You're a Cutthroat."

"Yes. No. Kind of." Aina sighed. "It's a long story."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. Turning her head to meet Hiccup's eyes, she had a silent exchange with him. "I think this is a story we want to hear," Hiccup said finally.

"But you're not off the hook," Astrid added.

Aina nodded. "I know what that means. Take me prisoner, right? I'm afraid I don't have any shackles on me." She held out her wrists.

Astrid's mouth twitched. "Not a problem." She fetched a length of rope from Stormfly's saddlebag, and used it to bind Aina's hands together. "Toothless, can you walk with Hiccup on your back?" She asked the Night Fury. She knotted the rope around Aina's wrists and gripped the ends with one hand, holding her axe with the other. "You'll have to be gentle, and make sure he doesn't fall off."

Toothless grunted an affirmative. Sinking down, he flattened himself against the ground, so that Hiccup could get on his back with minimum effort. Hiccup stood slowly, and used one of Toothless's legs as a ramp onto his back. Settling himself into the dragon's saddle, he hooked his prosthetic foot into the stirrup and gripped the front of the saddle. Toothless rose to his feet as soon as his human was settled.

"Take it easy," Aina reminded the pair. "And watch Toothless's wing!"

Astrid looked at the girl bemusedly, and then shook her head. "Let's move. I want to be back at the village before nightfall." She walked on Toothless's left, with Stormfly on her right. She pushed Aina a few feet ahead of them, and the little group started to walk.

Aina kept quiet as her captors directed her into the trees. As they moved, she glanced up to the sky, her mouth twisting. _You'd better have a good reason for doing this._

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 **My sleep schedule is officially wrecked as a result of writing this chapter. Not that it was much better before :P. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Please leave me a review! Big or small, they all make my day brighter!**


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